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There’s something fun and cozy about digging into a warm dessert that’s been cooked over a fire. This campfire cobbler combines soft, sweet fruit with a golden crust, all baked to perfection in a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven. It’s a fun recipe for camping trips but also works beautifully in your backyard on a grill. With simple ingredients and no complicated steps, this cobbler is a great way to enjoy fresh summer fruit and definitely makes a tasty ending to any outdoor meal.
Why You’ll Love It
Campfire cobbler is packed with sweet summer fruit and baked to golden perfection over the hot coals. It’s easy to make outdoors if camping or on the grill at home.
Perfect for outdoors: This cobbler is made for campfires but works just as well on a grill.
Great texture: The soft fruit filling pairs perfectly with the golden, fluffy topping.
Easy ingredients: No fancy items needed, just basics like flour, fruit and milk.
Customizable: Swap in your favorite fruit or use frozen or canned if that’s what you have.
Crowd-pleasing: Nobody can resist a warm, fruity dessert after a day outside!
More delicious campfire dishes to try include apple crisp, banana boats, pie iron pineapple upside down cakes, and these gnocchi foil packs.
Strawberry Rhubarb Peach Cobbler Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
All-purpose flour: Forms the base of the cobbler topping.
Butter: Adds moisture and richness to the batter.
Baking powder: Helps the topping rise and become fluffy.
Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cobbler and balances tart fruit.
Milk: Combines with dry ingredients to create the batter. You can use any kind of milk, even plant-based.
Strawberries: Adds fresh, juicy sweetness to the filling. Choose bright, plump berries without blemishes or dark spots.
Peaches: Brings a soft texture and natural sweetness. Use ripe peaches for the best result.
Rhubarb: Adds tartness to balance the sweet fruit flavors.
Extra sugar: Enhances the sweetness of the fruit filling. Adjust the amount depending on what fruit you’re using.
Fruit juice or water: Helps the fruit soften and cook evenly in the Dutch oven.
How to Make Campfire Cobbler
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Prep the fire: Get your campfire or grill going and add charcoal briquettes.
Mix the batter: Whisk flour, salt, sugar and baking powder together.
Add wet ingredients: Stir in melted butter and milk until just moistened.
Fill the pot: Add the chopped fruit to the pot and then spoon the batter mixture on top of that.
Pour liquid: Add fruit juice or water.
Start cooking: Place the pot over half the briquettes and put the rest of them on top.
Check doneness: Cook until the cobbler is set and golden brown.
Let it rest: Remove the lid and let the cobbler cool for 15 minutes before serving with whipped cream or ice cream if liked.
Substitutions and Variations
Use different fruits: Swap in cherries, pears, blueberries, blackberries, apricots, whatever you like!
Make it gluten free: Use a gluten free all-purpose flour blend in place of regular flour.
Try canned or frozen fruit: Both work well. If using frozen, thaw it first for the best result.
Pie filling version: Save time by swapping your fresh fruit for pie filling. You won’t need to add the extra liquid if you do this.
Cake mix topping: Use a dry cake mix instead of the cobbler batter. Any flavor works.
Add spices: Mix cinnamon or nutmeg into the batter or sprinkle on top.
Use cream: Replace milk with cream for a richer topping.
Serving Suggestions
Main and side dishes: Enjoy pie iron pizzas and perhaps some campfire mac and cheese. And these Philly cheesesteak foil packs are really good too.
Desserts: Serve up your campfire cobbler paired with campfire strawberries and/or ice cream (this peach bourbon ice cream is so good!)
How to Store
Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 3 days.
Freeze: You can freeze it in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Thaw: Defrost it in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheat: You can warm it back up in the oven or microwave (or, if you’re camping, on the campfire!)
Top Tips
Use foil for easy cleanup: Lining the Dutch oven saves time later. I recommend heavy duty foil so it doesn’t tear (I use this one!)
Watch the coals: Even heat helps the cobbler bake evenly.
Let it rest: Cooling slightly helps the filling set and makes serving easier.
Use tongs carefully: Lift the lid with tongs to avoid dropping ash into the dessert.
Cast Iron Skillet Cobbler FAQs
Yes. Just use a charcoal grill and follow the same method as you would at a campsite.
Sure, either portion out your ingredients in different containers and assemble while camping or cook the whole thing at home and warm it back up on the campfire.
It’s a balanced mix of both, thanks to the sweet fruit and slightly tangy rhubarb. For a different result, use different fruits.
I recommend a Dutch oven or cast iron skillet with tight fitting lid, as it allows even cooking and keeps out ash.
Campfire Cobbler Recipe
Campfire Cobbler
Equipment
- Charcoal Briquettes I used about 35
- Dutch Oven 10-Inch
Ingredients
- 2 Cups all-purpose flour
- ½ Cup butter, melted
- 4 Teaspoons baking powder
- ½ Teaspoon salt
- 1 Cup granulated sugar
- 1 Cup milk
For the Filling
- 1 Cup strawberries, chopped
- 1 Cup peaches, about 4, chopped
- 1 Cup rhubarb, about 3 or 4 medium stalks, chopped
- ¼ Cup granulated sugar
- 1 Cup fruit juice, or water
Instructions
- Prepare your campfire or grill for cooking over low heat and add briquettes.
- Line your Dutch oven with heavy duty foil.
- Add the chopped fruit pieces and spread them out.
- Whisk the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder together in a bowl.
- Stir in the melted butter and milk until just moistened.
- Pour this batter into your lined pot over the fruit.
- Pour the fruit juice or water over the top.
- Cover the pot and, when the briquettes are covered in white ash, put the pot directly over half of the charcoal briquettes.
- Add the rest of the briquettes on top, using long-handled grilling tongs.
- Cook for about 35 minutes or until the cobbler is set and slightly golden brown. To check, lift the lid carefully with the tongs.
- If not yet set and lightly browned, cover again, cook another 5 minutes and check again.
- Uncover the cobbler and let it stand for 15 minutes before serving with whipped cream or ice cream if liked.
Notes
Watch the coals: Even heat helps the cobbler bake evenly.
Let it rest: Cooling slightly helps the filling set and makes serving easier.
Use tongs carefully: Lift the lid with tongs to avoid dropping ash into the dessert.
Nutrition
This campfire cobbler brings comfort and fun to any outdoor meal. It’s a simple dessert that doesn’t require fancy tools or hard-to-find ingredients, just a Dutch oven and a few pantry staples. With its fruity filling and tender topping, this cobbler is the kind of treat that everyone loves digging into, whether you’re by the fire or at the backyard grill.
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
